


They Comes and They Go

by NightshadeDawn



Series: That happened... [22]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Imaginary Friends, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Imaginary Friends, M/M, Mild mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-06 22:45:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12827712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: They come and they go, but friends never leave you.





	They Comes and They Go

**Author's Note:**

> Based of the prompts: "I thought you forgot about me." "Never."  
> and  
> "You are a child's imaginary friend. He's growing up, you're fading away." (Why have I not used this prompt for the series yet?)

        By the time Asahi was four, he was taller and broader than all of his classmates. He was also a bit of a scaredy cat, which didn’t sit over well with his peers. Prompting them to bullying.

        He was an outcast among the tiny tots. 

        His grandmother told him he was just big boned, like his late father. That one day, he’d be able to use that mighty size of his to protect people. 

        Asahi wasn’t so sure. His Baba was very smart. She’d been a teacher in her younger years and everything, so Asahi didn’t want to disagree with her. 

        But it was just so hard when he didn’t fit in!

        One thing that always cheered Asahi up after a particularly rough week was a Saturday with Baba at the park, eating ice cream.

        “Go play,” she said, shooing him away with a chuckle after he’d finished his icy treat.

        Most of the children there ignored the sweet boy too; he had a very scary expression.

        But then Ai was there. Never floundering, never leaving. He smiled at Asahi on the playground, and dragged the boy into a game of tag. 

        Ai was a hyperactive little child, and often felt like more than Asahi could handle. But for some miraculous reason, they just clicked. 

* * *

        Noya lived most of his life alone.

        The house was right by the forest, and didn’t have any neighbors for miles. His parents were normally away, and Noya like it better like that. 

        It was better than the screaming they did at each other- and the bruises they’d give him.

        By the time Noya was four years old, he’d learned to fend for himself. By the time he was five, there were many miles of forest he had memorized. When he was six, there was a boy.

        Noya had seen him first at dusk, just standing at the edge of the tree. 

        “Mommy, Mommy, there’s a boy out there!” he’d exclaimed, rather fearfully as he tried to hide behind his mother’s chair. He looked a lot bigger than Noya, and Noya was small to begin with.

        Noya’s mother huffed. “Can’t you see your mother’s working?” she snapped. “Get out!”

        Like a dog with a tail between his legs, Noya left the room and headed up to his room, not exiting until he was called down for dinner. The table was tense with silence. 

        “Your mother tells me you saw someone outside today, Yuu,” his fast said, taking a bite of his food. 

        Yuu nodded. “A boy, out by the trees,” he explained. 

        “I don’t want you leaving this house,” his father ordered. “And whoever this boy is, I don’t want you letting him in. Do you understand me, boy?”

        Noya hung his head, barely picking at his food. “Yes, Daddy.”

        His parents left again the next morning, and Noya knew he wouldn’t have to expect them until after dark. Not with the fight that had awoken him shortly after dawn.

        Noya sat at the front window, leaning on his elbows as he watched the outline of the trees. It was boring, being cooped up all day. He’d never actually met anyone his age, and he longed for the days he might one day go to school and meet other kids. 

        He’d watched enough movies and read enough books that he knew how it was supposed to be. 

        And suddenly, there was the boy standing at the edge of the trees. Noya almost tumbled from his position on the back of the couch in surprise at how fast the boy had appeared. 

        Noya jumped off the couch, running to the front door and barely remembering his shoes before taking off for the forest. The boy was gone again, but this was a chance for a friend. And Noya would be an idiot if he didn’t take it. 

        He ran for the forest, searching in the trees for the mysterious boy. There was none to be seen. The only sound was the rustle Noya made as he went through the underbrush and the birds chirping in the tree.

        Noya searched until the light had begun to turn the leaves yellow and orange. Regretfully, Noya made his way back to the house before his parents could come home. 

        The boy sat on the broken, shabby railing of the house as Noya returned. 

        “Hey!” Noya exclaimed upon seeing him. “I looked for you everywhere!”

        The boy turned and gave Noya a meek but gentle and heartwarming smile. “I’m always where you need me,” he claimed. 

* * *

        It should be known that both Noya and Asahi defy the paths set out for them. And if that’s the case, I suppose that it’s not so peculiar for their souls to do so too.

* * *

        Asahi was six years old and crying in the outline of the park.

        He hadn’t seen Ai in a few days, and he was very worried he’d lost his best, and only, friend. Suddenly, Ai was there and running to Asahi’s side. 

        “Asahi!” he exclaimed, running and embracing the boy. “Asahi, what’s wrong?”

        “I- I thought you forgot about me!” Asahi wailed, trying to fight back his tears and snotty nose. Ai smiled, wiping away the tears.

        “Never,” he promised.

* * *

        It was late, a few months after Noya had met Kazuki. His mother hadn’t returned yet, and his father was making a ruckus downstairs.

        Noya was up in his bed, curled into a ball and just wishing for sleep. Kazuki had been there for a time, but Noya had sent him away before his father could find out about the boy. 

        There was a pounding on the staircase and Noya clutched his blanket tightly. 

        His door flew open, blinding light flooding in. 

        “Yuu, get up and pack a bag,” he ordered. “We’re leaving.”

        Quick so as to not make his father angry, Noya followed the orders. He quickly filled the trash bag that had been thrown at him with all his clothing and pulled his treasured blanket and bear after him outside. 

        He was ordered into the backseat and as soon as the door was closed, his father took off. Fear prickled at the back of Noya’s mind, but it was overshadowed by the excitement of leaving his house for the first time in his memory. 

        They arrived in the city. Without a place to go, without anywhere to live. They were in the car for a few months, and in that time Noya thought constantly about Kazuki. About how he might never see the boy again. 

        He didn’t have to worry about it. One day, shortly after his dad had gotten an apartment, Kazuki appeared. 

        “I thought I’d never see you again,” Noya admitted, feeling tears well up in his eyes. 

        And Kazuki smiled. “I told you: I’m always where you need me.”

        When Noya’s father came home, he looked positively disgruntled. He shot a glare at Noya which sent a shiver down the boy’s spine. 

        “Get to sleep, brat,” he snapped. “You’re going to school tomorrow.”

        The smile that lit up Noya’s face was nothing less than brilliant. “Thank you thank you thank you!” he exclaimed, going over to his flimsy mattress and pulling the blanket over his head. 

        He closed his eyes tight, unable to fight the grin. There was some part of him that didn’t think he’d be able to sleep, with how buzzed with excitement he was. But the next thing he knew, he was waking up early in the morning. 

        He managed to scrounge up some food for breakfast, and even made a bit of a bento for lunch, too. His dad was still sleeping like a rock, so Noya had to go shake him to wake him up. 

        “Daddy! Daddy, come on! You gotta take me to school! I don’t know how to get there yet!” he exclaimed. 

        The man in question irritably shook Noya off him and managed to get ready and get Noya to the school on time. 

        Noya bounced around excitedly while his father filled out the finishing touches of the paperwork and he was sent on his way. 

        “You can find your own way home,” he father stated, leaving the school. 

        Noya was sure he could; he was pretty good with directions if he said so himself. 

        He stood at the front of the class, grinning happily. “Hi! I’m Nishinoya Yuu!” he said. “And I’ll be coming here from today on!”

* * *

        For a seven year old Asahi, the past few years had been a peaceful bliss. Sure, the jeering words from his classmates hurt, but he had Ai and Baba, and that made him happy.

        And he had volleyball, and the kids on the team looked at him with some sort of admiration because he was like a secret weapon- it wasn’t really all that hard for him to block the balls of the other teams.

        Even if by then Asahi had learned Ai wasn’t actually real. 

        It was Saturday, and Baba had taken Asahi out to the park again. He was running around, playing with Ai, and they’d ended up in the trees surrounding the park. 

        “Umph!” another voice exclaimed when they ran into Asahi. Both ended up in the snow. 

        Asahi looked at the boy. He was an exact replica of Ai. 

        “Yuu! Are you okay?!” 

        And the boy to run out of the trees and start fussing over the one Asahi had run into looked exactly like Asahi. 

        The boy brushed snow off of “Yuu” as he continued fussing. “I told you to be more careful!” he exclaimed. “You need to watch where you’re going-”

        It was then that Asahi let out a sneeze. 

        Both of the strange boys turned towards Asahi and Ai. 

        Ai and the Asahi look alike both screamed. 

        “Ai?!” exclaimed Asahi.

        “Kazuki!” shouted the other boy.

        “What’s going on?!”

        Neither paid attention to their companions, too wrapped up in arguing with each other. 

        “Wha-What’s going on here?!” Ai exclaimed. “This isn’t supposed to happened! I still have  _ years  _ left!”

        “Me too!” Kazuki agreed. “I- I don’t- this is far too early!”

        “Uh- um, wha-what’s exactly going on?” Asahi asked meekly, finally speaking up. 

        Kazuki and Ai looked at each other and shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt, would it?” Kazuki asked. 

        “I… suppose not,” Ai agreed. 

        The two turned to Asahi and Noya.

        “We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

* * *

        The four became an odd group, though to outsiders it was only an odd pair.

        Kazuki and Ai were “imaginary friends”, in simple terms. “Shadow People” in more complex. They had been meant to bring Noya and Asahi together- but that wasn’t meant until high school. 

        Time passed slowly, but eventually Noya was eight and Asahi was nine.

        Baba had been delighted to meet Noya, and enjoyed feeding him every time the small boy visited. She claimed he was too small, even for his size. Noya had never really thought about before. 

        Noya’s dad didn’t know about Asahi or Asahi’s Baba or really anything. Only his work, his drinks, and the bruises left on Noya’s pale skin. Noya thought he was lucky to have kept the secret for two years.

        Kazuki spoke to Ai of it one night on a rooftop, mentioning how worried he was for Noya, and Ai accidentally let it slip to Asahi. 

        Asahi took to Noya like a mama bear, becoming worried and tried to get Noya to talk to him about it. 

        “It’s nothing, really,” Noya complained, trying to brush off Asahi’s worries. “I’m fine, really! Everyone gets punished when they’re bad, right?”

        Asahi gave him a sad look. “Baba doesn’t hit me, Yuu,” he whimpered. “Not hard enough to leave bruises.”

        It was quite the conundrum. With both confused on the subject, Asahi and Noya went to Baba on the matter. She was the smartest of the bunch, after all. She’d know what to do. 

        And she did. 

        Noya’s father ended up in rehab for six months, to get him off the alcohol. And then he was sent to prison for a few years. Noya went to live with Asahi and Baba. 

        Noya joined Asahi’s volleyball team, and he quickly proved himself. He may have been short, but he was strong. He could do anything. 

        At two separate ends of the spectrum were Asahi and Noya, both having to prove themselves to the world. Neither having to prove themselves to each other. 

        It was Noya’s second year of middle school when his father got out of prison, a changed man. Noya didn’t go back to him right away; no, he had to prove to Noya he was better. 

        Eventually, he did earn Noya’s trust. But Baba warned him; ever hurt her boy again, and she would not be so kind. 

* * *

        Baba was getting old, and it was harder for her to accompany the boys to the park. Still, the four of them went there as often as they could.

        There was a tree they’d sit under. Asahi and Noya would sit close and do homework sometimes, while Ai would sit on Kazuki’s lap. 

        One day, Asahi and Noya were witnesses to the two of them kissing. 

        “Gah! Since when?!” Noya exclaimed, his eyes going wide.

        Ai just smirked in response. “We’ve been lovers for thousands of lifetimes, millions of years. It’s not that strange.”

_         When you have our faces it is _ , Asahi thought. He refused to look in Noya’s direction and acknowledge the feelings that had been growing without anyone’s knowledge. 

        Noya, meanwhile, jumped to his feet. He pulled a pocketknife out of his jacket and leaned against the tree. 

        “I read about it in one of my books!” he stated. “People who really love each other carve a heart into a tree, and then their names into it.”

        Kazuki and Ai looked at each other, and then Kazuki took the offered knife from Noya. 

        Everyone watched as he slowly carved the heart. Then he began writing strange symbols in the heart. 

        Ai’s face grew pink as Kazuki stepped back and handed the knife back. 

        “What’s it say? I can’t read it,” Noya complained. 

        “It’s our names,” Ai stated. 

        “Kazuki and Ai?” Asahi asked. 

        Kazuki shook his head. “No. Our true names,” he explained. 

        “What are they?” Noya questioned, a hopeful look in his eyes. 

        “There’s no earthly way to say them.” Kazuki rolled his eyes. 

        “Oh.”

        Asahi looked over to Noya, who was messing with his blade. “Where did you even get a knife?” Asahi asked worriedly.

        Noya twirled the knife in his hand before closing it and stuffing it in his pocket. He grinned. “My dad. He said I’m tiny so I needed to protect myself.”

        “I could do that…” Asahi grumbled, looking away from Noya.

        “What was that?”

        “Nothing!”

* * *

        Life was quiet, peaceful.

        Asahi started high school, which ended up taking up a lot of time he’d once spent with Noya. He’s joined the volleyball team and along with two other first years, Suga and Daichi, were trying to build it up again.

        Noya was determined to make it into Karasouno to be with Asahi again, and worked tirelessly to succeed. 

        Kazuki and Ai, of course, supported the two as much as they could. 

        But then something… went wrong. 

        There would be  _ days  _ before Kazuki or Ai would appear. Sometimes, the two had to call out for their imaginary friends. Even then, at times they didn’t come. 

        Asahi was in his bedroom, all the pain and pressure of trying in the volleyball club and school and taking care of his ailing Baba and the lack of Ai just building up and spilling out in big, fat tears. 

        Tears of the like he hadn’t cried since he was young. 

        When Baba let Noya into the house that night, the muffled cried were the first sounds he picked up on. 

        As quickly as he could, Noya made his way upstairs and silently opened the door. 

        Asahi looked up with a start, his eyes going wide. 

        Noya grinned, kneeling in front of the bigger boy. “Geez, you’re such a big baby, Asa-chan,” he teased, grinning.

        He pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly. 

        The two of them broke apart, spotting Kazuki leaning against Asahi’s desk and Ai cross legged on his bed. 

        Both of them looked mournful. 

        “Kazuki, Ai,” Asahi said in relief, smiling. 

        Noya gave them a glare. “Where have you been?” he demanded. 

        The two Shadows looked at each other. It was Kazuki who spoke first. 

        “Our time is almost up,” he explained. “The time you were supposed to meet is almost upon us…”

        “This’ll be the last time we can show up,” Ai said, sounding sad even though he gave a big grin. “But don’t worry! We’ll always be taking care of you!”

        “Wha- But- Why?” Noya asked in disbelief, settling on the legs folded under him. 

        Ai climbed off the bed and skipped over to Kazuki’s side, grabbing the other’s arm. 

        “You’re growing up,” Kazuki whispered. “You always have been. But now…”

        He trailed off, only able to stand a bit straighter when Ai squeezed his hand. 

        Ai gave them a large grin, this time full of only truth and happiness. “You gave us so many years together,” he said, tears sparkling in his eyes. “So much more time than we’ve ever had before. Thank you.”

        “Thank you both.”

        Kazuki bowed to them, followed by Ai. Then, with a final smile, the two disappeared right in front of Asahi and Noya’s eyes. 

        It was Noya’s turn to cry, and he did so in Asahi’s shirt. Asahi held him close, both knowing the pain of losing a cherished friend.

* * *

        “Asahi! Asahi! Look!”

        Yuu jumped on Asahi’s back, holding a crumpled paper in his hand. Asahi had to grab the waving hand to prevent it from moving before he could even take the paper. 

        He smoothed it out on his desk and looked at it. 

        “Look, Asahi!” Yuu pointed to the top line on the paper. “You book is the number one best seller in Japan!”

        Sure enough, right up in the number one slot was  _ The Shadow People by Azumane Asahi _ . 

        “Has it really been that long already?” Asahi asked, leaning up and pressing his lips against Yuu’s while thinking of that time so long ago.

        “Not that I can believe it either,” Yuu agreed, snuggling up to his boyfriend. “It’s a good thing nobody else knows it’s real-”

        A ring came from their apartment’s doorbell. 

        Yuu and Asahi stood up, going to answer the door together. Outside Suga, Daichi, Hinata, and Kageyama stood. All of them holding a copy of Asahi’s newest book.

        “How did you know?” Suga asked.

        Asahi and Noya looked at each other before offering the others inside. 

        “This is gonna be a looooong story,” Asahi said.

* * *

        Light is a fickle thing.

        It had the ability to bend into anything and everything, even people. Of course, the only  _ real  _ people made of bended light are the Shadow People.

        They are creatures who will go to those with a strong soul. If you are one of these individuals, they will bend their form to look like the one you are destined to be with.

        Shadows are not scary, not all the time. 

        And, as the stories go, it was in fact not difficult to lead them at all.

**Author's Note:**

> That is it for the Shadow People series! I hope you enjoyed yourself on this wild ride, and feel a little better now that it's over. I don't feel like this one is truly up to par with the rest, but I did my best.  
> Have a nice night! (And don't be scared of the dark- your Shadow protects you)


End file.
